Between Heaven and Hell
by Yui-Mag
Summary: A 5th wild power has been found, one that can tip the balance of powers between the Nightworld and the Dayworld in the final battle. Meanwhile, Hikaru is wondering whether there was a deeper reason to why Sai chose him... A Nightworld X HnG crossover
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - Nightworld and all characters (Ash, Thea, Mary-Lynette, Marc, and many more) from Nightworld is the creation of LJ Smith. The prophecy mentioned in italics is also her creation. The characters (i.e. Shindo Hikaru, Touya Akira, Waya, and etc) from Hikaru no Go are the creation of Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata. All that is mine is the plot and some random characters of my creation that help move the plot line along. :) Hope you enjoy the ride...

_The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend._

_The Night World laws say it's ok to hunt humans. It's ok to toy with their hearts, its even okay to kill them. There are only two things you can't do with them._

_Never let them find out that the Night World exists_

_Never fall in love with one of them._

_These are stories about what happens when the rules get broken._

_--LJ Smith_

1.

Ash sighed, his hand running through his hair in an attempt to get the blondish locks out of his face and with that movement gain him some time to hide his feelings. Things were not going well at all for Circle Daybreak. Not well at all. He glanced at the occupants of the room. It seemed utterly strange and bizarre to think that little over a year ago, they'd gotten together and had been hopeful for their future… a naïve and idealistic future where Night Worlders and humans could live together, not fearing persecution if they did fall in love.

Each person in the room—Thierry, an elder and his soulmate Hannah, a human—Quinn, made vampire and Raschel, a vampire hunter (one could see the potential irony and pit falls of finding one's soulmate with those two. Ash hid a smirk as Quinn caught his eye.)—his cousin James and Poppy—so many soulmates gathered in one room—each of them breaking Night World laws just for being what they were. They had all been fighting together, trying to win a never ending battle. Three of the prophesied powers had been found and had come to the side of the light and now? Now?

Kierlan Harman had disappeared. The fourth power had just…gone.

_Four to stand between the light and the shadow,_

_Four of blue fire, power in their blood._

_Born in the year of the blind maiden's vision;_

_Four less one and darkness triumphs._

The words of the prophecy rang in his head. 'We're screwed.' It didn't take much to figure that much out. He wondered vaguely if he'd have some time before the real fighting began to go visit Mary-Lynette and his sisters. Not visit. Find them and take them somewhere safe. But he wasn't sure if there was a place he could find that was safe. He sat deeper in his chair, allowing himself to sink further and further into a slouch.

A door opened and closed. A cool, petite hand rested briefly on his shoulder and then it was gone. Thea—another cousin of his but of witch descent—made her way deeper into the room. Her human soulmate however collapsed at the foot of his chair. For the oddest reason, Eric had decided that Ash was the one to befriend. Thea had mentioned to him once that it had something to do with him being family and not as scary. Not as scary? Him? He glanced around the room and shook his head. There were plenty of others who were a LOT friendlier and more approachable than he was, take Hannah, Poppy, James…oh the list could surely go on. He still wasn't quite sure how sane the guy was but…hell. A movement to the side caught his eye and he grimaced at the sight.

James was the one smirking now. A tired smirk that did little to hide the growing weariness and worry in his green eyes. But a smirk all the same. Knowing and amused at the fact that not only did Ash Redfern for god's sake have a _human_ soulmate, he now also had a _human_ friend. The world really had to be coming to an end. They were doomed.

He really thought he hated family sometimes. Do something when you were younger and they never let it go—he had hated humans before finding out that his soulmate was human. He'd done horrible stuff in the past and given his education it wasn't _that_ surprising. It still didn't excuse anything though.

'Still have to slay more dragons, ne?' The mental voice that sing sang into his head was not his. Green eyes twinkled mischievously at him, partially hidden by red curls. Poppy. That girl…

'Yes. Yes. Now go away.' He thought back at her, sitting straighter. 'Little Dreamer, stay out of my head.'

'You miss her.' A wave of sympathy was sent his way that he ignored.

"James." He whined. He felt Eric start at the sound of his voice. "Control your girlfriend. She's meddling and I'm not in the mood to handle it." His cousin looked surprised and then sighed, nudging the girl. She made a face and was probably about to say something in retaliation but Thierry cleared his throat. Everyone looked to him.

"Thea has news for us from Acadia." The young looking man turned grave eyes to the petite woman beside him. Her green eyes were troubled and she took a breath before starting to speak.

"Acadia dreamt last night. She dreamt of a fifth power, that the prophesy always meant five because one was destined to walk away from the Light." Kierlan Harman, bastard. But a fifth! Thea continued before hope and excitement could truly run through Ash's veins. "She _saw_ him in her dream." A slight pause. "But she wasn't the only one."


	2. Chapter 2

2.

It was strange but in all the time that Sai had spent by his side, the thought had never entered his mind. Even the couple of years after Sai had abruptly left him it never came to him to think… Ghosts are real. Ghosts are around us.

What other supernatural beings are as well?

It only came to him now, hands sweaty with nervous apprehension, as he watched the horror movie while trying to sit calmly beside his friends. The movie, _Shojo-rei: 14 sai no tamashii_, was still at the beginning. The main character Tooru had just listened to that Hana girl about the local legend. The girl gave Hikaru the creeps.

He glanced to his right to look at how the others were taking the story. Waya's amber eyes were glued to the flickering screen, his jaw tense as he finished chewing the last of their take out dinner. Beside him, Isumi fidgeted, trying to get more comfortable. He finally settled, hugging a pillow to him while his body leaned towards Waya. Whether it was a conscious or unconscious move, Hikaru didn't know.

Things had changed between the two friends ever since Isumi had come back from his second trip to China. The difference wasn't readily discernible. In fact, Hikaru had overlooked it completely but Touya had made an offhand comment one day that had struck him. "Those two seem much closer." The words played in the back of his head, Touya's voice serious yet distant. He was just commenting the obvious. Why he had on that particular day decided to share his observations with him was still a mystery. But it had opened his eyes. The two _were_ a lot closer. Again though, he couldn't exactly pin point the changes and Waya and Isumi hadn't offered to let him in on the news. But he was ok with that. He had his share of secrets he wasn't ready to divulge to anyone. The music changed and his attention was jerked back to the television screen along with a skipped heart beat or two.

He'd never realized how lucky he'd been. Sai had been kind. He'd been a teacher and had loved life and shared that love. He hadn't been… angry or vengeful. Hikaru sank deeper into the couch.

"It hasn't gotten scary yet." Waya whispered to him, a smirk revealing his teeth. Great. Hikaru though. Just great. He should've just gone to the go salon with Touya as usual. Why in all hells had he agreed to do this instead?

Because he was currently avoiding Touya. Right. That's why. He felt an ache in his chest that he'd been desperately trying to ignore whenever his thoughts strayed to the other man. Way to go Hikaru. Stupid. He further sank into the couch, grabbing a pillow to hold as well, and prayed it would be over soon. Whether it was the movie, the awkwardness between him and his rival, or the pain he was in…he wasn't sure.

…

A discussion lasting two days had taken place after Thea's announcement. Acadia's dream had been picked apart and analyzed with all of the circle trying to bleed it dry of any information that would be of use to them when finding the fifth power.

The final decision had been made with a little twist that he hadn't seen coming. Well hell, he hadn't seen any of this coming. He could make a very brief list in his head, summing it all up.

First, came the realization or hope that there was a fifth power, different yet the same as the other four, along with the fact that Kierlan Harman would _not_ be coming back. Second, that his leaving and betrayal had even been meant to occur all along... It had been prophesied since the beginning! God, he hated fate! Third, that someone would have to go find the fifth power before the other side did in the land of the rising sun.

Whatever that meant.

Their best guess was that this new power would probably be found in Japan. (At this little piece of information, Ash was seriously hoping that Acadia hadn't lost it completely. Thank god none of the witches in the group could read his thoughts. They would certainly have come up with new ways to torture him for the obvious lack of faith in their blind seer. Or whatever she was. However, Poppy had been able to hear his thoughts perfectly well and had snorted herself silly.) And of course, since he knew some Japanese he was a perfect fit to find this little lost witch. Ri-ight. Throw in his gentle natured cousin who was to help explain the entire messy and scary situation, Thea and her soulmate because really those two were sickeningly sweet and inseparable and here was the chosen retrieval team. Everybody had found it to be the right decision. Everybody perhaps except him. He couldn't even begin to point out all the glaring flaws in the grand plan. There were simply too many.

Ash sighed, his head resting comfortably against the window pane. Eric was driving right now. They'd switched off and on since the beginning of the trip. Thierry in all his great kindness, had given him permission to warn his sisters and invite them to LA. They would be safer there. And maybe, just maybe…he could get Mary-Lynette and her family to follow. He doubted it but he could hope, couldn't he?

"Are you nervous?" Eric asked, glancing briefly at him before returning to studying the road. Thea was sleeping in the back. The question made him sit up straight and he stared at the other young man in bleak confusion. Nervous about what exactly? His mind could come up with several caustic replies that were all terribly reasonable. But Eric probably didn't deserve any of them. "I mean, you haven't seen her in a long time…" Oh. He sighed. He hadn't even thought about that aspect of it. He realized belatedly that continuing to stare at Eric's profile would not take the question back. He forced himself to look back out the window.

"I'm ready to be verbally whipped into shape." He answered a bit shortly with a small smile. That was the one highlight in the whole fiasco. He'd at least be able to see her one more time and for that he was grateful. Though he wasn't really sure if he'd slain enough dragons to win his lady's heart fully.

A couple hours later, they pulled up in the middle of nowhere. He stretched his long legs out and took only a few steps before the door of his sister's home erupted open.

"ASH!" His youngest sister ran out, nearly knocking him flat as she leapt at him and grabbed him in a bear hug. It was quite a different welcome than the last time he'd been here. And definitely _not_ what he'd been expecting. "Why didn't you say you were coming? We would have waited for you before eating and we would have had Mary-Lynette over! She's…" Jade trailed off and frowned. He put her back down on the ground, waiting for her to continue before replying. He had tried to call and hadn't been able to get through and then they'd been on the road and he figured, hey…a surprise could be good too. "I think she's at the school with Rowan still, tutoring some of the younger kids. She should be home soon though."

Jade hadn't changed much in a year. Her long blond hair still swung around her petite form and that blasted cat of hers wasn't too far from her. Twiggy? Tigger? Tiggy. It was Tiggy. He glared at it and sighed.

"Jade. Hi. It's nice to see you again." He tugged at her hair gently, realizing with a bit of a pang that it was still awkward being the big brother. Jade didn't seem to mind the awkwardness, shrugging it away with a smile as she chatted about this and that. Her fear of him had dissipated last summer. He'd proven himself to her in any case.

It made him remember what it had been like before. When they'd been really young and his father had still let him play with his sisters, they'd gotten along alright. Oh he'd been the typical brother, teasing and riling them up as much as he could. Though riling Kestrel had always been a tougher sport.

"Who are they?" Speak of the devil and she appears. His younger sister's amber eyes flashed defensively. Her body was poised—ready to fight if needed—as she stayed perched on the balcony. Jade twirled back, startled at the fact that she'd completely missed the two strangers still in the car.

"Thea, your cousin and her soulmate, Eric. He's human." Ash threw out the introduction, grinning apologetically at Eric who just good naturedly gave him the finger. "These are two of my three sisters. Jade." He tapped the youngest on the head. "And Kestrel. Watch out she's the one with the temper." He turned back to the car and grabbed the rest of the bags. "Let's go in though. There's a lot of stuff that we need to talk about. Is there anyway we can get Rowan and Mary-Lynette home earlier? Mark should come too. The news will be affecting him as well. How is he by the way? Has he gotten into hunting yet?"

Jade shook her head with a fond smile. Which answered his unasked question—those two were still love struck with each other in the way only the young could be. With no thought of the future or the consequences. Just living in the moment. He wished he could still be like that but realized that he'd never been that naïve in his entire life. His father had made sure of that.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Thanks for the reviews so far. I know that some have asked me why I put this under Hikaru no Go category rather than Nightworld. I did this because even though the first few chapters are more Nightworld oriented (that's where the plot idea came from!!!), the overall story is going to be focusing on Shindo Hikaru and Touya Akira. If you have questions on Nightworld at any point, just ask and I'll be glad to share information on the series. Anywho, enough said. Enjoy!!! And please let me know what you think and how it can be improved.

3.

He didn't know how he had survived that incredibly _stupid_ movie. His heartbeat was still a bit too fast to be normal and he absolutely dreaded walking back home. Isumi had offered to walk with him—at least part way—but Hikaru couldn't help but feel that if he took his friend up on that offer, Waya's sudden frown would have gotten darker. He had hastily made his exit coming up with a half-baked excuse as to how no no, he would be fine. The movie hadn't scared him shitless at all.

Ha-ha-fucking-ha.

Why did it have to be so dark anyway? He plucked at his coat, fiddling with the zipper before finally pulling it up shut all the way. He shivered and wondered whether it was from the cold air or something else. The September air _was_ cool but not _that_ cool. Oh Shindo Hikaru you _idiot_! He gritted his teeth and pulled his cell phone out as he resolutely started to march in the direction that would take him home. He needed someone to talk to while he ventured out there, someone who would tell him what a freaking idiot he was being. There were many people in his life who could tell him that in all honesty but only one who did it with such poise and creativity that it always took him aback. Sometimes, when he wasn't pissed, it actually cracked him up.

"Touya?" He muttered the second he heard the click indicating that someone had picked up.

"Shindo?"

"Yeah. It's me. Hi. How are you?"

"Wonderful." The familiar voice answered with a slightly dry and exasperated quality. And this time, when his heart skipped in his chest it wasn't due to any kind of lingering fear from the movie. _This_ was why he'd been avoiding the other. He doesn't know what it means. He's not sure he wants to know. "I see that the rumors are true. You _are_ alive." His hand tightened on his cell phone.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You're funny Touya. I never knew." He answered, trying to sound as unafraid as possible. Hearing the other's voice helped actually. He can already feel some of the tension bleed away from him.

"Why would you…" Touya sighed. "I was starting to wonder if I even had a rival."

"Shut up." Hikaru growled into the phone. "It's been what? Two weeks since I last saw you?"

"Right. Try five weeks." That was such an exaggeration that Hikaru stopped in his tracks. Five whole weeks? It couldn't be. Mentally he tried to recall the past few days. But it was a lost cause. Trying to think only brought scenes from the movie back to his mind. Like that girl's face. He shivered and shook his head.

"No way! I saw you before that! We bumped into each other at the institute, remember?" He wasn't sure when that had happened. And it probably wasn't what Touya would count as "seeing" each other. After all, they'd literally bumped into each other and then Hikaru had made a run for it. He waited for Touya to mention those little details.

"Fine." Touya muttered; tone suddenly flat. Which was unlike him to give up so early in what could have been a brewing argument between them. It left Hikaru feeling guilty because he knows that even if it hasn't been five weeks, he has been avoiding the other. "Why are you calling?"

"Sheesh. Cause I felt like it." Silence answers him and he forces himself to start walking again. "It's my birthday in a week." He doesn't know why he brings that particular subject up. It's not like they'd ever done anything together for their birthdays. He'd always just hung out with his family or Waya and Isumi or even Akari. And Touya? Well, he didn't really know what the other usually did for his birthday. He supposed the other celebrated with his family or Ogata-san.

"I know." The short and simple answer brings a smile to his face though he's not quite sure why.

"It's crazy. We'll have known each other for five years… we should do something."

"Ok." There's another pause before either one of them speaks. "Shindo?"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing? You sound out of breath."

"Walking home."

"At this hour?" A little snort. "You do realize what time it is…" Touya trails off and there's the sound of someone shifting. "It's past midnight." Witching hour, Hikaru's mind helpfully adds. He gives a wary glance at the surrounding street and finds it just as creepy as it was before. Worse, he's still not close enough to his home to feel any comfort.

"Don't remind me. Please." Hikaru knows he's two seconds from whining about his plight and knowing exactly how his rival would react to it. "I'm realizing that I still hate the dark as much as I did when I was little." The chuckle that escaped him was slightly more nervous sounding than he wanted it to be.

"Where exactly are you?" The words were sighed out.

"I'm uh…I'm uh…somewhere between Waya's and my house." He muttered, squinting to read the nearest road sign.

"That's not helpful Shindo."

"I'm trying. I don't have night vision Touya! In any case, why does it matter?"

"Because Shindo…" Touya started wearily. "There's been a string of unexplained disappearances around town. It's all over the news. I live a block or two away from Waya's. Just come over. Stay the night and be safe."

"I but…" Crap. "Thanks Touya." Double crap. There really wasn't much else to say. Touya wouldn't lie about something like that and to tell the truth, knowing he was going to be inside soon was making relief pour straight through his entire body. He just couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was just going to pounce out of the darkness at him. And that the sooner he was inside, the better. Because being inside a building would provide safety and warmth…

"Do you know where you are now?"

"Yeah. I should be there soon. I'm just at the corner of…" The words remained stuck in his throat as a dark movement caught his eye. He tripped over his own shoe and just stared at the shadowed road. What was that? Nothing? Probably nothing. He tried to reason with himself that his imagination was just being overactive because of that stupid horror movie. He was going to kill Waya. Him and his stupid ideas. Still, Hikaru couldn't make himself move from where he was rooted. His heart thumped hard in his chest. Part of him knew that it hadn't been his imagination. He had seen some…thing…holy…shit.

"You're at the corner of?" He heard Touya's question but couldn't even swallow let alone speak anymore. His steps grew longer and faster until he was running flat out. Yellow eyes. There'd been yellow eyes staring at him! The shot of panic that had run through him was nothing like he'd been feeling before. It was pure adrenaline that made him leap and turn onto the next road, instinct and habit taking over as he no longer could even think.

What the hell was it anyway? A huge dog? A monster? But monsters didn't exist. But ghosts did! So why not monsters too? Shit shit shit! It had to be a dog. A huge fucking dog! Was it rabid? No. No. It was scary and wrong somehow in a way he couldn't explain. But he knew it somehow or someway, that it was dangerous and he needed to get out of there fast. Cause if it caught him…god. If it caught him…"Shindo?!" Shut up Touya! He didn't have the time to freaking give an answer. In fact, he didn't have the time to breathe at the moment. "Shindo? Hikaru damn it! Its not…" He didn't hear what the other said after that. He heard instead a growling noise that seemed to rumble all around him…

…

"Hikaru damn it! It's not funny! Answer me!" Akira pressed his cell phone into the side of his head as if by doing so, he would communicate everything to Shindo and force that idiot rival to answer. Come on. But no, the only thing that answered him was the continuation of harsh breathing and then worse. There was nothing. Akira blinked in incomprehension at the lack of noise. Slowly, still disbelieving it, he pulled the cell phone away and stared at the small screen. Call ended. The duration of the call blinked up at him and then left the screen as well.

He swallowed hard and tried to rationalize what had just happened. It seemed almost too…too unreal to be happening. Hadn't he just finished warning the other about the nightly disappearances? If Shindo was pulling a prank on him… He swore under his breath, trying to push away the darker thoughts and instead focus on anger rather than the growing fear. It had to be a prank. God what he would do to his inconsiderate rival when he got his hands on him!

Despite being rational and logical and god damn it, just a little angry now, Akira found himself snatching his coat and stuffing shoes on. He was running down the stairs and out the door without really seeing anything. There was a tug in his chest that couldn't be thought away and he… "Oof." A hard body slammed him back into the side of his building, the bricks scraping at his skin despite the layers he had on.

"Woah, s-sorry man!" Hands pulled him back up and were pushing him back towards the door. Whoever it was, wasn't even giving him any choice in the matter. Just pushing and pulling. He was about to start tugging away when it hit him all at once. He knew that voice. "We have to go in! In!" The voice was panicky but familiar and all resistance melted from him.

"Shindo." He tried to speak, hand rubbing at his head and wondering how many bruises would be coloring his back and butt tomorrow. "Calm down." The door wasn't even a foot away from them.

"No. No. In. In. We have to be inside!" He grabbed the door and held it open before the other literally had a nervous breakdown out in the street. He'd known Shindo could move fast. Had even experienced it first hand running after the other when they'd been younger but apparently, he had gotten off lucky. Shindo could be a _lot_ faster.

The young man just leapt through the front door and was making his way up the stairs before Akira could even blink and process everything that had just happened. "Get inside! Shut the door!" The words were hissed out frantically from the top of the stairs and then the man darted out of sight. It would have been comical if the obvious fear wasn't contagious. Unfortunately, it was. He quickly took the step inside.

Akira glanced outside as he slammed the door shut behind him with a vehemence that surprised him. He scanned the dark but found nothing. It did little to calm his nerves. With shaky footsteps and an aching head, he went to follow his rival.

"Come on Touya, you said you'd fucking be here." Shindo was pressed against the door, alternating knocking and twisting at the doorknob.

"Shindo." Akira sighed the name out. "I am here." The other yelped, hand curling into a fist and then nothing. Recognition. Shindo's hand fell back to his side. Relief.

"Oh god Touya." Akira reached behind the other and gently nudged him aside so that he could unlock the door. "Was that you? Did I bump into you? Shit…"

"Come on, let's get inside." It wasn't much of an answer but Shindo didn't seem to notice it. He just nodded and stumbled through the now wide open door.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

4

It was like all the frantic running he'd just done had finally caught up to him and his legs hurt. Worse than that though, they felt weak and shaky like they didn't even possess the strength to hold him up any more. "Tell me what happened." He vaguely heard Touya ask but he simply shook his head, collapsing on the couch. He was safe here. He was safe. The words kept chanting in the back of his head like a mantra, trying to convince himself that it was true. "Here. Drink this." A warm cup of something was pressed into his hands. When had Touya had time to make this?

"…thanks." Strange but all he really wanted to do right now was to put the cup aside and bury himself in Touya's arms. And cry. He really wanted to cry right about now. Just that simple realization made his eyes prickle. He shook his head sharply and stared at the contents of the cup. "What is this?" He finally managed.

"Hot chocolate. Don't worry it's not tea." Touya sat opposite of him, giving the two of them more than enough space. "You looked like you would need something with sugar in it."

"Huh?"

"You were as pale as a—"

"Don't. I'm going to start hating that word." Hikaru interrupted bitterly.

"What happened?" Touya asked softly after a couple minutes of utter silence had passed between them. "The phone disconnected and…"

"I threw my phone at it." Hikaru whispered, struggling to stay composed. He shook his head. "I don't know what it was really. It was just…wrong and it growled. Touya it freaking growled!" The other slowly put his cup down on the table and regarded him seriously. "It looked like a dog but it…this is gonna sound stupid but it didn't _feel_ like a dog." Hikaru bit his lip and wondered if he even needed to continue. He was sure Touya was going to think he was an irrational lunatic. A little boy still scared of the dark. How pathetic. "But that's not very rational." He added finally when it remained silent, glancing at Touya quickly. "I'm sure that it was my imagination working over time because of what you'd told me and the fact that Waya had the horrendous idea of watching a horror movie for fun. I mean, when are those kinds of movies ever fun?" He gave a weak chuckle, returning to look at his hot chocolate as if it was the most engrossing sight he'd ever laid eyes upon. "That makes more sense. That's probably it, right?" Again silence. It was unnerving. "Touya? Say something, please."

"Whatever happened… whatever it was, Shindo, it scared you." The sixteen year old was startled out of his thoughtful frown but he spoke calmly and soothingly. "Are you all right now?"

"Yeah."

"I should get the guest futon ready." Touya started finally after a couple minutes of stretched silence between the two. "Just rest." He added before Hikaru could ask the other what he could do to help. He would have almost preferred being active, doing something than just sitting on his ass when Touya was in the other room. Silly, really. But he wasn't ready to be alone yet.

The longer he was, the more erratic his heart beat continued to stay. The slightest noise made him jump and he just couldn't stay focused on any particular thought. Disgusted with himself, he placed the cup on the nearby table and stood up.

"Touya?"

"In here." The voice came from the room on the right of the hallway. It was slightly muffled and Hikaru saw why as he made his way there. The room was obviously Touya's office space. The goban had been moved under the desk where the computer was located. He saw his distorted reflection on its black screen and for a moment the image caught his attention before he went back to staring at Touya.

His rival was currently on his hands and knees, fiddling with the sheets so that there wasn't a wrinkle on the surface of the futon that could be spotted. "You do realize that the moment I sit on there, it'll get wrinkled." Touya cast him a slightly irritated glance before sighing and dumping the warmer covers on top.

"Better?"

…

It seemed surreal to Ash to be sitting around his late great-aunt's wooden table again. He was slouched in his seat watching as Jade and Thea made some small talk while Mark worked the courage to ask Eric some questions. No doubt it would be questions concerning dating a Nightworlder and maybe even questions about circle daybreak. He gazed a little to his right to see the last occupant in the room. Kestrel remained apart from the rest of them, standing with her back resting against the wall.

There was no hostility in her face, just a constant vigilance with a touch of suspiciousness any good hunter had. She was possessive, territorial, and very protective of the little she had. Mainly her sisters, whether she agreed with them or not. She was too old for her age and Ash could only wonder at the specifics that had caused her to be like that.

Her eyes caught his staring and held his with an arched eyebrow.

"You could sit you know…" With his left foot, he nudged the empty chair closest to him away from the table.

"Why are you here?" She asked instead. The side conversations stilled to a halt and Jade turned to watch her siblings with a mixed look of apprehension and exasperation.

"What? Can't visit my lovely sisters simply because I miss them? After all it has been a year since we last saw each other." Kestrel didn't even blink in the face of the light teasing tone he replied with. He looked away from her and rested his head on his hand. "The others will be home soon. Once they are, I'll explain everything…so sit." She did so, surprising him. Her every movement in doing so however screamed of reluctance.

Uncomfortable small talk started once more. Ash stayed out of it, preferring to try and capture what would be the last relaxing moment he would have in a long time. He also was trying not to think of what it would be like when Mary-Lynette walked through the door.

The entire year they'd been apart, he'd been achingly aware of how empty he was without her. At the same time though, he'd filled that ache with work and purpose. No one who was part of the inner circle could say he hadn't done his share and more… Still, it had done nothing to ease the pain of separation and the constant tugging that he felt deep within. Constantly, memories of her would come to invade his thoughts—her sharp tongue, witty mind, soft and serious features, her silent yet strong will—during the night when physical activity ceased was the worst.

It tore at him bit by bit. He'd hidden that from the rest of the group. There wasn't anything anyone could do to remedy the situation. Even if there was the possibility of being with her, would it really be ok? Both he and Mary-Lynette knew that she would never become a vampire. Not after the little she'd seen and experienced. It had been more than enough to show her that she could never and would never embrace the Night World. He understood that, he respected that. But as much as he wished _he_ could become human for her, with every fiber of his being, he also knew that he would never be human. What future than, was there for them?

And it was like Mary-Lynette had said to him a year ago outside on that porch… They weren't like Mark and Jade. They couldn't just sit there and hold hands and pretend that the future wouldn't eventually bite them in the ass.

The little he could offer her and he just wasn't sure it would be enough… was to give up his immortality. Give up the ability to stop the aging process and instead grow old with her. And when she died, have someone kill him as well. Being separated by miles was painful enough. He didn't ever want to know what it would be like to be separated by death. He closed his eyes, a bleak smile twisting his mouth. That was the optimistic—I actually do get a future—mental hope he kept holding onto. The truth was, he didn't think they'd even get that.

Not with the war brewing.

Not with being the Redfern's main heir.

Not with being part of Circle Daybreak.

The two opposing sides, tugging at him to join and stay to fight and die for their cause.

"We're home Jade. Now what was so important that you called us in the middle of a tutoring session?" Rowan's voice called out from outside. The slamming and creak of the door let everyone know that she was now inside.

Ash sat up straighter, heart hammering within his chest. His mouth was suddenly dry and he knew that he should stand, that he should walk towards the door—that he should do _something_. It was what was expected of him. He felt everyone's eyes on him but more than that, he could finally _feel_ her.

It was like a breath of fresh air.

Yet he couldn't get enough of it into his lungs.

She walked into the room just a step behind Rowan. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat pony tail and there was just the slightest frown pinching her tanned features. One hand was rubbing at her chest as if something was hurting.

It was like finally being able to come home.

Yet not being able to take the last few steps to get there.

"Oh!" Rowan's eyes glanced over Thea and Eric, widening in confusion. Just like Kestrel and Jade, she had never met any of her extended family members, especially not the ones of witch descent. "I didn't reali—" She trailed off as Mary-Lynette gasped.

Ash didn't really care what happened afterwards really or where the others disappeared to. All he cared was that she was there and she was suddenly in his arms. He lost it again, just like he had what now felt like an eternity ago. He simply gave in to the link, mentally melting into her until the outside world was only a very vague and irritating reality that wasn't necessary to deal with.

Only she was.

Only she mattered.

…

Mary-Lynette had been feeling off all day. She hadn't been able to place the odd sensation in her chest—like a tightness, an anticipation of some sort. But why and for what? There was nothing she was really expecting.

Nothing exciting ever happened around here with the exception of well discovering that vampires and werewolves were real, that the Night world existed, and the discovery of her soulmate… But after that one summer, everything in her world had returned to the normal every day routine of a small town. And in this small town, nothing _did_ happen.

Still, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling. It had only grown in intensity with each passing hour making it hard to concentrate and sit still. She'd been relieved to tell the truth when Rowan had received Jade's call that they were to come home as soon as possible. "Home" meaning the Burdock farm.

Stepping into the house though had been troubling and reminiscent of when she'd first encountered Ash. Her field of vision had narrowed just like that time, everything else taking on a slightly reddish hue, while her heart seemed to jump from her chest to her throat. And she didn't know how she knew because she couldn't see through the tears that were suddenly streaming down her face, but he was here.

He was home.

When he touched her, his arms coming to wrap around her, it was almost too much all at once. But she wouldn't have wanted to push away even though the initial sensations weren't enjoyable. She knew it would be once the fear and confusion melted away. Melt away they did as he just held her, hands gently coming to wipe at her tears and brush at her hair. His thoughts whispered through hers and there was darkness still within him that scared her, but there was light too. The light within him was all warmth and comfort and it was all she needed.

She was finally complete.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

5

They didn't know how long they'd been holding each other in the middle of the kitchen. Nor would they ever ask the others. They simply separated because Ash knew they had too. There was something more at stake here. He sighed regretfully, shaking his head in the vain attempt to regain some sort of order to his shaky thoughts but he kept a hold of her hand. He wasn't quite ready to let go of her just yet. His insides still ached. A couple hours by her side just wasn't enough.

It would never be enough.

They made their way into the living room and Ash carefully cleared his throat. He ignored most of the happy knowing smiles that the others were sending his way. Where to begin? Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on Mary-Lynette's hand. There really was no nice way to break the news. Might as well just jump right into it all.

"I know this will be hard to believe but your brother is part of Circle Daybreak. Thea and Eric are as well." To Mark and Mary-Lynette's blank stares, Ash added a little explanation. "Circle Daybreakers are human lovers. They're open to anyone and they're hoping for peace between all of the races." He sighed. "We're here because we're about to leave on a mission and…" He paused, nodding towards the pair. Since they weren't making any attempt to cut him off, he guessed that his assumption that they hadn't started letting his sisters know what was going on was correct. "Let me back up a bit."

He knew that because of where they'd been before and because of where they were now, his sisters would not be up to date in what was happening. "There's a war that's been brewing between the Night world and the Day world. The nightworlders are gathering their forces in hopes to overtake the humans. It's why their activities have been increasing so much recently." He felt Mary-Lynette stiffen beside him. "For the past year and a half, Circle Daybreak has been looking for the lost powers. Individuals," He took a breath in and out before continuing, pulling Mary-Lynette to sit beside him on the couch. "who have powers that have been prophesied to help win the war for whichever side they're on. Four had been found. Unfortunately, one disappeared."

"...disappeared?" Jade asked softly. Mark was frowning about something, his facial feature only darkened at the sound of Jade's voice.

"From what we know, he joined the other side." Thea interjected, her tone of voice matching Jade's. Her green eyes were sad. "But Acadia dreamt and in her dream her prophecy became clearer. Instead of seeing four lost powers, she saw five. Ash, Eric, and I are leaving the country to go find the fifth power."

"I know this is a heck of a lot of information we're throwing at you. And it may seem impossible that the war is even happening or that it would ever reach you guys here…" Ash picked the conversation back up. "…but the truth is, you're no longer safe here. It's not going to be much longer until father will go over my head and search for the three of you to bring you back home. He's been busy because of everything that's been going on but I have a feeling that even those concerns won't last much longer." Rowan's face was concerned, her eyes protectively flitting from Kestrel and Jade's forms. They even fell on him once or twice, to his surprise. He knew that she could be counted on to back him up. Especially when it came to any option that would keep the three of them out of their father's grasps.

He tensed slightly at the next issue that needed to be tackled. "Mark and Mary-Lynette, you're also both in danger because of what you know, because of your connections with us…I don't think any of you should stay here anymore."

"Where could we go?" Kestrel asked, her voice tense. It was clear that she was wondering where _safe _was. After all, their father had many connections. She wasn't arguing the facts, just demanding the possible options so that she could plan her next actions.

"Los Angeles at the Circle Daybreak's safe house. I've been given permission to invite all of you to go there; your parents included Mary-Lynette…" _Please go. Please…_

…

Hikaru watched as the patterns of light changed against the white ceiling of the room. He couldn't sleep anymore. The minute his head had touched his pillow, he'd fallen asleep and then something had jerked him right out of his dreamless state. He still wasn't quite sure what had caused him to wake up.

Only knew that now he couldn't even summon the courage to close his eyes again. Adrenaline was flowing through his veins and the room felt abnormally cold. The covers that had felt warm and comforting when he'd first shrugged underneath them were now heavy. Too heavy. He felt trapped underneath them.

There was nothing in the room.

He kept chanting the words in his mind. Slowly, fast, tapped to a rhythm or just mumbled under his breath even…until they became almost like a mantra. There was nothing to fear. There was nothing in the shadows.

Morning would come soon.

And once the sun was out and he could leave this room and join the presence of others', he'd be ok. He'd be more than ok. He'd be able to laugh at his own silliness and forget this whole messy night.

A light knock broke him out of his thoughts and he literally jumped from his laying position to a sitting position.

"Yeah?" He asked, mouth completely dry. The door opened slightly and Touya came in slowly. He looked slightly puzzled.

"Are you…" He trailed off and Hikaru realized, without knowing quite how he knew, that Touya was looking at everything but him. "…ok?" It made his throat tighten. He nodded in the darkness, unable to form the words. "I'm sorry if I woke you," Touya sounded slightly mortified at what was being played out. "I just couldn't shake the feeling that you couldn't. Sleep that is." He sounded slightly helpless at the fact and frustrated too.

"You didn't. Wake me." Hikaru finally managed to stammer out. "And I couldn't sleep."

"Oh." If anything the fact that he'd been right seemed to fluster his rival even more. "oh." His fingers played with the cuff of his sleeve nervously. "Is the futon uncomfortable? Is it too cold? Too warm?" Hikaru blinked at the questions.

"Just couldn't sleep." He finally mumbled. And it was the truth now because it wasn't cold in the room anymore. "Stay?" Touya took a step forward in response and gingerly kneeled next to the end of the futon, his back coming to rest against the nearby wall. "What time is it anyway?" He asked quietly, moving closer to his rival while keeping the covers carefully wrapped around his shoulders.

"It's three something." Touya whispered softly. Hikaru shifted even closer, almost to the point where they would be touching shoulder to shoulder, but he stopped before they could.

"Do you want a blanket?" It wasn't as dreadfully cold as it had been before Touya had come in but that didn't mean the air in the room was warm enough for what Touya was wearing.

"I'll be alright. Thank you."

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

6.

Morning for Hikaru could not have come a minute sooner. He opened his eyes and felt wide awake despite the little amount of sleep he'd gotten. His side felt cold and somehow vulnerable and it made him wonder how long Touya had been up and about. He shrugged the blanket from his shoulders, letting it pool to his lap before getting up. His neck, shoulder, and back muscles protested the movement and there was the pop of various bones cracking back into place that made him wince. He had always hated that noise and dreaded the fact that with age, that sound would just grow to haunt him more and more.

He shook his head with a wry smile. He was only sixteen and his body made these noises… the future did not bode well. He messed around with the blankets, trying to fold them into a neater pile on top of the futon but it was really to no avail. He smoothed one side, only to wrinkle the other and so on. Frustrated, he left it all together. He'd have to offer Touya to do his laundry and take him to dinner or something to thank him for last night. And hopefully, that would be enough to put everything behind them and never… NEVER …look back.

Hikaru took a step out of the room and caught the scent of breakfast being cooked. Touya who must have heard him moving all around in the kitchen, nodded at him in greeting when he came closer.

"Hey," Hikaru muttered. "I'm guessing there's nothing left to do?" He tried peering over his rival's shoulder as he asked and was nearly elbowed in the process.

"What are_ you _doing?" Touya asked, removing the hot contents of the pan into two plates. "Go sit down." One of the plates was shoved in his direction and he grabbed it quickly, nearly burning his finger as he stuck his thumb in the hot steamed rice and tamagoyaki*. He made his way to the breakfast table and was surprised to find miso soup, nori, and grilled fish at the table. When exactly had his rival gotten up to make a traditional Japanese breakfast? And why wasn't he more surprised that the other actually had taken the time to cook everything…

"Not a morning person either, Touya?" Hikaru asked, only slightly startled by the slightly grumpy tone in the other man's words. Green eyes glared at him in response and he had to stifle a slight smile at the sight as well as swallow his other questions concerning the quality of this breakfast.

So far so good.

It seemed 'Normal' was back with him. Hopefully, he thought, it would stay that way.

…

Well, he should have seen this coming. He really should have. It's not like he hadn't been overexposed to stubborn hardheaded females for the past year…so really, it was _his_ fault at not thinking of this possibility.

Ash sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He hadn't been able to sleep at ALL since they'd decided that they'd talk enough and they'd start up again in the morning. Or at least, he would try and talk _someone_ out of their idea while the others would start to pack. He gave a little groan. He didn't even know where to begin… besides trying to physically get up. And his body was ganging up on him on that point too!

It wasn't that it was a _bad_ idea per se. It was a horrific one. On top of that it…it complicated things. More so than they already were and he hadn't even thought that was possible. Thea had looked positively delighted at the prospect to make it even worse. Which meant that there was probably no chance in hell that he could talk Mary-Lynette out of this idea. She'd seen from his cousin's face that she had an ally. He was doomed. He sighed again, louder this time and fell back onto the bed, curling to his side and hiding his head underneath the pillow.

"Why the sigh?" Jade asked, popping her head into his room without bothering to knock. He made a face at her which she ignored with remarkable ease. "Aren't you happy that she's going to be coming with you?"

"Didn't they teach you any manners?" He muttered, words muffled.

"Yes. Why are you sighing?"

"He's sighing because not everything is going as he'd planned." Came Kestrel's dry voice from his wide open door.

"Don't any of you respect what a closed door means?" He grumbled this time. Her words were exactly spot on. Damn her.

"Dear brother, I do think you're losing it." She muttered, joining Jade in sitting at the end of his bed. He felt their weights jostle him around a bit and he growled in response. It was way too early for this. "The door is obviously wide open."

"You still didn't answer my questions." Jade added, her words coming out in what sounded like a song.

"Ask Kestrel. She knows all. Apparently. Obviously. Whatever… go bother Rowan."

"Grumpy, grumpy, Ash." And here was the third. He was a cursed man. "Do you need to hunt before you go? We packed by the way and Thea got a hold of Thierry so everything is set up. Our plane tickets have been booked and they'll be sending them to us through e-mail. Marc is coming with as well…We managed to convince his parents that the exchange program at UCLA was a good one." Rowan sounded a bit breathless as she verbally decided to describe every little detail that she'd gotten done from her list. Damn. Damn. Double damn. She'd _always_ done a good job at making him feel useless. "We'll be leaving tomorrow around noon."

"Exactly what _time_ is it?" The question was really pulled out of him, unwilling and grudgingly. Still he didn't remove his head from under the pillow.

"Oh. It's 9:30." Jade chirped.

"In the morning?" Ash croaked. "You got all of that done and it's only nine something in the freaking morning?" Rowan tugged the pillow in one swift move and tossed it to Kestrel.

"Welcome to our world." Jade finally sounded less than chipper. He snorted at that while Kestrel and Rowan exchanged a look. The two of them were happily morning people. Strange and dangerous and endlessly annoying creatures. He groaned. Again. And vainly tried to cover his eyes with his arm as he rolled onto his back. He made a move to try and push the two younger ones off his bed with his feet but Kestrel easily evaded the kick and Jade simply laughed at him. Delighted apparently, that he was being 'playful'. Hah. He'd show that little… He pounced and decided that a little tickling was definitely in order. Kestrel watched with a bemused expression while Rowan shook her head and was obviously weighing the pros and cons at helping Jade escape the torture or not. When Jade's laughter filled pleas reached a new volume, Rowan finally settled on grabbing his second pillow and attacking his head.

A slight knock at the door (finally someone with manners) made everyone pause.

"Can we come in?" Thea's clear voice called out from a safe distance in the hallway.

"Yes." Kestrel said primly, before deciding belatedly that it might not be so bad hitting her once feared brother. She caught him by surprise, with a side hit that was a bit harsher than Rowan's ineffective bops had been. He let go of Jade in that moment a bit dazed and the shorter girl fell to the ground, clutching her sides.

"…I just wanted to let you know that we're all ready to go too. Acadia will be meeting us at the airport tomorrow Ash and she's approved of Mary-Lynette coming with us."

"Oh." Well. Shit. He had no grounds to try and persuade her from coming with them. "Why?" Thea shrugged helplessly. Apparently the seer hadn't been forthcoming with more information.

"Why do you look so worried?" Jade asked, still breathless but no longer laughing. "Ash? What you're doing…the power that you need to find and everything. It's not dangerous is it? Is that why you don't want her to come? Because it _is_ dangerous? Ash?"

He didn't have any answer that was comforting so he did the only thing he could do. He grabbed back one of his pillows and slammed it over his head determinedly as he fell back onto his bed. If everything had been done and planned without him than he might as well get some sleep…or whatever.

To be continued….

*tamagoyaki = Japanese egg roll


	7. Chapter 7

7.

For the next day or two, everything went back to what could only be described as relatively normal. He'd gone back to trying to avoid his rival but he hoped that this time it was just a tad less obvious. He'd promptly forgotten his mental promise to take the other man out to eat as thanks and shied away from the memory of that night. Still, he'd made it a point to not walk around at night and always be around someone whenever he could. The only barb in the entire situation was that he still couldn't shake the feeling at times that someone or something was watching him.

And that was why it was only relatively normal.

He sighed as he sunk into the chair that Waya had saved for him. "Thanks." He muttered before sprawling out on the bit of free space that was left on the table's top surface.

"Conventions like these suck." Waya started conversationally, his amber eyes tracking the front of the little restaurant. Isumi had yet to finish his tutoring game. If it could even be called that. Hikaru moved around slightly and closed his eyes. The convention was really nothing more than an open house to teach the general public what go was and to try and lure any potential players…

It meant hours of dealing with little kids that couldn't stand still for a second let alone sit long enough for any of the game to make any sense to them. It also meant dealing with giggling school girls and boys (poor Nase and Touya, some of their admirers had been blatantly making passes at them) who thought the professional go players they had chosen as 'tutors' were cute enough to try and learn this "old and boring" game. And then there was dealing with the older population who thought they knew something and really—really they didn't know squat.

The worse were the giggling girls. He'd mainly dealt with them. Waya he knew, had dealt with some giggling girls but mainly he'd dealt with older players. He didn't even know why. Sometimes he thought that it was just because they enjoyed nagging the redhead about his wild hair clashing with the professional attire or that his attitude didn't fit the somber, serious nature of the game …

He was dying for a real game at this point. Anyone with even the slightest bit of talent or go knowledge would be preferable than dealing with crowds of whatever they could be described as.

He felt Waya tense beside him and then move. Ah, apparently Isumi had been freed long enough to make a run for it. Good for him. Hikaru wasn't ready to open his eyes though. He'd do that when someone came to ask him what he wanted to eat.

"Hey." The voice startled him since he'd been expecting Isumi. He opened his eyes and sat up despite his every inclination to _not_ do so. A slightly rumpled looking Touya sat opposite of him with Isumi by his side. Nase was pulling up a chair and waving rather enthusiastically to a nearby waitress. How the hell did she still have that kind of energy? And what the fuck was Isumi thinking in dragging Touya along? He gave Waya a sideways glance but did not find the expected frown there. He gave a minute shrug at that. Maybe the redhead was too tired.

"I'm glad to be calling it a day." Isumi broke the awkward silence. Nase hummed her agreement and reached to grab a menu.

"I can't believe we do this for a living sometimes."

"Oh it's not _that_ bad." Nase muttered, flipping to the second very colorful page. He'd never known ramen could come in that particular color. "I'd rather be doing this than being an insei again."

"True." Waya muttered. "So how many guy's number do you have in your collection there Nase? Find the guy of your dreams in that packrat you had going on around your table." The girl didn't even have the grace to blush at the teasing. She simply smiled mysteriously over the menu and stuck her tongue out.

"Worried?" She asked in such a way that made Waya choke on his water. On cue, as if Isumi had been expecting this very thing to occur, he passed several paper napkins to the redhead. Hikaru smiled at that and rolled his eyes.

"You wish…" Waya hissed finally around some muffled coughs. "Tch." He slumped back in his chair, shaking his head.

"Touya had more people around his table than I did." Nase added finally. "Did you get lucky?" His rival had clearly been ready to be ignored the entire time and he looked distinctly uncomfortable at the unexpected turn of events. And poor Nase had only been trying to be nice and include him in. Hikaru internally winced and braced himself.

"I wouldn't say that. It's very hard to discern how many people there were…" He trailed off as Waya snorted.

"You had a friggin' line that nearly went around the entire building Touya. Don't know how you can deal with it. You had all three categories too—annoying grampas, giggling teens, and the brats!" Waya rested his head on his hand, regarding the taller teen seriously. "I can barely handle the grampas. God…" Waya groaned. "I swear to god if I heard another one of them asking if I was seriously a pro and what was wrong with my hair…" His amber eyes flashed dangerously and he didn't really need to end the sentence. The tension that had been making Touya's shoulder a bit higher than normal became more relaxed and the slightest hint of a smile touched his lips.

Hikaru was glad when the waitress came and asked what they wanted. It was the perfect timing really. The conversation changed and dwindled to nothing when their meal arrived. And he was relieved. Better the silence than finding out if somebody had gotten lucky enough to earn Touya's attention off a go board.

…

Japan was not what she had expected. But then Mary-Lynette had not quite known what to expect for this impromptu voyage. She still didn't. She was just relieved that the interminable flight had finally reached its end. She got up a bit shakily, thankful when Ash's warm hand offered only the slightest support. She wondered how he could still look that gorgeous, hair in place, not the slightest trace of how long and tiring the flight had been. And he was tall! He'd hardly had the needed amount of legroom… She sighed.

The stewardess had definitely noticed Ash and from the beginning of their flight had made her interest in him known. She kept throwing him the flirtiest of looks. When he did catch them he would just return them with an amused glance and then tug at Mary-Lynnette's hair as if sensing the jealousy that she was trying so hard to quell.

Eric tried to get up and hit his head rather hard on the low ceiling. The sound made the rest of them grimace and Thea nearly reached to rub her own head before she shook herself and turned to him. "You ok?"

"Just fine…" He muttered between gritted teeth. "Can't wait to actually be able to stand up straight."

"They're opening the door now." Ash added helpfully while he tried to hide his grin. Eric caught it though and reached over the seat to mess up his hair.

"Laughing at my pain will ya? Jerk."

"Boys…" Thea started but apparently changed her mind and simply shrugged. She slipped out in an opening in the crowded aisle and reached for some of their bags in the overhead compartments. Moving slowly but carefully, Acadia made her way to her side as well. Mary-Lynette didn't know quite what to make of the other witch either. She was as young as Thea as far as she could tell but Thea always looked slightly in awe of the young woman. She would have asked if she could but it almost seemed rude to.

She shrugged to herself inwardly and moved forward to grab for her own backpack.

"How much time to our hotel?" Eric moaned in such a pained voice that she had to smile sympathetically at him.

"Oh about an hour or two of cramped taxi time." Ash yawned the answer out. "But it'll be worth it baby… it'll be worth it." Eric made a slightly disbelieving and disturbed face.

"It better be… and don't call me baby."

…

Touya managed to get a hold of him just as he was about to walk out the door. He bit his lip and turned to face the other, hoping that his confused look would be convincing enough to let him off the hook. Waya, Isumi, and Nase (lucky bastards) hadn't noticed that they weren't following.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" He shrugged the hand off his shoulder.

"Avoiding me." Figures Touya would go straight for the jugular.

"Touya, seriously? I'm tired, I'm cranky, my butt is sore from all the sitting that I've just done. I just want to go home." He sighed. "I saw you two days ago and we went over it that time too. I'm not doing anything…We've just been busy and our schedules are clashing. It'll pass." He pushed the door open again and walked out. He hoped his last words were true. That it would indeed pass. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever and…

"I know we saw each other two days ago." Touya's voice was quiet but firm. "But its…" He sounded frustrated and puzzled, much like the time when he'd come in asking if he'd been having trouble sleeping. The memory of that night came to him full force and he stopped walking, turning to stare at his rival. There was the anxious tugging of the sleeves, those long fingers… "Forget it. I apologize for wasting your time." Touya finally stated his tone of voice deceivingly blank. "I hope you have a goodnight's rest." And with that he turned away and walked in the opposite direction.

Hikaru watched him go for a second or two, unable to walk away or to call out. He felt trapped again and his heart thundered.

It was only when Waya started to call out to him that he was able to move from his frozen spot. He nearly bumped into a girl with golden like hair in his haste to catch up with his group of friends and only missed her by inches because of the young man beside her. He was short, stocky and yet lanky looking at the same time. Like a large cat, a predator. He moved fast, grabbing the girl's shoulders towards him and giving Hikaru a look that was less than friendly. He jabbered an apology realizing that he was staring at the foreigners before running away.

He vaguely wondered what they were going to do here. They hadn't looked like tourists. And damn… he'd never seen that big of a group that were so attractive. Maybe they were models? Or actors? The thoughts disappeared as Waya caught him in a headlock and dragged him the rest of the way home.

To be continued….


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"God this feels good." Eric muttered, falling into the bed and closing his eyes. "But why are there only two beds?"

"Because hotels are expensive in Japan and I'm not made out of money. As sad and as inconceivable as that may be." Ash muttered, looking at the small room with a dark stare. "But think on the bright side, you and I get to share one bed… while the girls have to squeeze three bodies into theirs." He gave them a brilliant smile which they ignored and rightfully so, Eric thought. "You don't snore do you?" Ash asked, suddenly his attention focusing on him. Eric had little time to respond as the man turned to Thea for the answer instead.

"No he doesn't Ash. Not unless he has a cold. But he's fine. So your ears will be safe."

"Thank the lord." And then the playful tone that masked so well the serious man that Ash was so intent on hiding was gone. "So how do we go about finding the fourth power? Cause the little you gave us is going to do squat."

"Ash!" Thea's tone was the closest Eric had heard it to snapping. He sighed and lifted himself slightly so that he was supporting his weight on his elbows. He only knew of two people who could get her to lose her temper. Blaise and Ash.

"Its fine Thea. He is right to ask…" Acadia sounded the way that she looked. She had delicate features, high cheekbones, and long loose black hair. But more than that, she radiated with serenity that seemed endless. Without another word, she came to Ash's side and placed both hands on each temple. There was a moment of surprised silence as everyone watched and then, Ash's eyes widened, rolled to the back of his head and he fell in a dead faint.

"It will begin tonight." Acadia said weakly, before she too fell to the ground.

…

Hikaru was hanging out in the kitchen, getting in his mother's way as she worked to make dinner before his father came home. He usually didn't bother her like this. Usually he let her be and hung around his room. It worked out well for the both of them that way. Or at least he thought so. He took in his mother's lined face and realized with a slight pang that he wasn't the only one who was getting older. He reached around her wordlessly and stole a carrot stick that she'd been diligently slicing. She didn't even blink as she silently slapped his thieving hand away.

In truth, she liked the way he had started to hang around the kitchen after coming home from work. She'd learned quite quickly, as all mothers do, that he didn't necessarily want a conversation or her nagging to do a better job at not looking so wrinkled by the end of the day. And he didn't really get in her way though they both pretended he did, if only to appease him in that indefinable way that all sons need to feel like they get under their mother's skin from time to time. After all, it wouldn't do for his teenage image if he was too close to his mother, she supposed.

She snuck a glance at him, pretending to push away a stubborn strand of hair from her eyes. She'd stopped trying to understand him when he'd turned fifteen, seeing in her son a grown man who had appeared without her noticing. She missed the chubby cheeks, the carefree eyes, and the teasing little rascal of a boy she'd given birth to. But she loved the man he was turning into just as much despite the constant tug in her heart telling her that she didn't know him all that well and that he no longer needed her. Hadn't needed her for a very long time now.

She turned to cutting the onions and slapped his hand a second time as he went for the carrots again. So no, she thought with a slight smile. It wasn't a bother at all to have him in her kitchen.

She gave a slight sigh and snuck another glance at him. He looked content, relaxing against the kitchen counter. His eyes were very far away though. It always took her by surprise the seriousness that colored his eyes nowadays. Or how tall he was.

"Mom?" He gave her a startled look. "What was that you said?" The question took her off guard so much that she put her knife down.

"I didn't…" She started slowly. "Hikaru?" He frowned.

"You didn't? But then what did I hear?" She watched as he moved away from the counter. "I mean you heard it right?" But she could only shake her head no to that pleading tone. She had only heard her own thoughts… "There! There it is again. Did you hear it?" There had been nothing. Nothing at all.

"Hikaru," She went to place her hand on his arm to still him. He must be half-asleep, she hoped, it was really the only logical explanation to this whole situation. After all, he had just come home from an overly long and stressful day. The only thing was, her son's eyes were wide open.

"It's not funny." He suddenly stated, tone flat, eyes angry. "It isn't funny at all." When he'd first heard the words, he'd thought he'd simply misunderstood his mom. He had been lost in his own world and he tended to tune her out but then he'd heard it again. And his mother had obviously not been the speaker.

"Can you hear me?"

He was scared to answer. It was so very reminiscent of how he'd found Sai. Seeing that bloody stain and then a soft voice asking him, "_You can see them? And you can hear me?_" This voice wasn't Sai's though…

"You can hear me." It was female, young, and sounded satisfied. "Can you see me?"

He wanted to close his eyes but suddenly he couldn't. That feeling of being watched, of being surrounded intensified, and then suddenly there were faces staring at him. All of them were staring at him with such incredible hunger and need. A cold hand closed around his wrist, forcing his eyes to look down. He couldn't tug away, he couldn't stop this from happening, he couldn't…

"He can see all of us."

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

9.

The hospital waiting room was cold and uncomfortable. The walls a bleak white that hurt the eyes—not that she was staring at them. She was trying her best to stare at everything but the walls. Their bleakness scared her. Just like every little sound that surrounded her. The wheels of wheelchairs, doors opening and closing, whispering, barking of orders, phones ringing…but most of all it was the smaller sounds that got under her skin. The tapping of feet and hands, the clock ticking…The pages being turned from outdated magazines—its images and words faded from constant use and yet they had probably never been read. Just blankly looked at as a way to escape from the thoughts that truly plagued the holder.

Were they going to receive good news or bad news?

She felt so terrified that she was almost numb to the core. Cold even. Her eyes kept glancing towards the hallway that he'd been wheeled into. The nurses had told her that they'd be in touch as soon as they knew something, anything. And yet nobody came. Part of her wanted to yell, to scream—Didn't they know that was her only son? Her baby, her blood, her life—while the other part of her didn't want to move, to blink, to breathe. It had to be a dream.

She still had dinner to make.

She still had a list of things to nag him about. His hair had been getting too long and the sleeves of his shirt too short.

She still had the rest of her life to live out. And she suddenly was paralyzed with the fear that it would be without him there to break the monotony of her life, the comfortable rut that she and her husband had fallen into. Without him there, she had…nothing.

The gentle touch, warm and intrusive, was too much, too intense and she gave a little yelp, jumping from her chair. For a split second, the wild hope that finally _someone_ was going to tell her _something_ lived and soared and then she realized it was her father's wrinkled face looking down at her. His eyes were dark, worried, and he stayed silent. He simply squeezed her shoulder briefly before taking the empty seat beside her.

His presence felt alien for a moment. Out of place. She resented him for being there when it should have been her husband, Hikaru's father, there instead. Hadn't she called him as well? Yes, yes she had. Even through her panic, she'd managed to catch her wits long enough to call him once she'd made sure that her child was in the right hands. She'd gotten a hold of his secretary…it was an emergency, she had pleaded. She wondered briefly, if her message had ever reached him.

"This…" Her father's voice broke the silence. "This happened when he was younger." She blinked. "In the attic, I still remember little Akari-chan running down and getting me." Why was he bringing that up? Hikaru had been fine. Nothing wrong had been found. The doctors had all just passed it off as a case of being overheated… "Perhaps, it is a similar situation. He will be fine." He paused, eyes looking far away. "He is young and strong. He will be… he is fine." He caught himself and the correction made her realize that he wasn't sure of himself at all. She gave him a tight smile and nodded. The only thing a well brought up daughter could do.

Together, they continued to wait.

…

"Overworked?" He could hear his mother's pained voice through the closed door but couldn't quite work up the energy to open his eyes. "And concussed? From the fall…of course, yes…we'll do everything you say." His head hurt. His whole body ached actually. "But—but he's fine, right? Nothing showed—" His mother's voice faded away. He could imagine her walking away from the door with someone… whoever it was she was talking to.

A warm hand brushed at his forehead and he felt the calluses move strands of hair away from his face. The touch lingered and comforted. He turned to it slightly, still refusing to open his eyes and heard the sharp intake of breath.

"Hikaru?" His grandfather's voice whispered. "You're ok." The words were sighed out in relief. Yeah, except for feeling like his brain had tried to spontaneously combust…he was just peachy. He cracked one eye open slightly to give the old man what he thought would be a decent enough glare. Where the hell was he anyway? He tried to ask but all that came past his lips was a mumbled groan. "Just rest." The old hands soothed the frown that had formed between his brows. "Everything will be fine and you'll be home before you know it." Home? Hadn't he been home? He opened both his eyes then and regretted it as it caused everything to come back to him with that one simple movement.

It wasn't just his grandfather that stared back at him. But multiple faces. His breath caught in his throat and he moved in instinct, rolling off the bed and away, trying to escape with all his might this room. To escape the despairing eyes and hands that were suddenly too alive and too focused on him.

He managed to get as far as the end of his bed before falling flat, his one foot getting caught in the starched sheets. But the pain that rang through his body was nothing compared to the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest and the growing whispers of voices that should have been dead and gone so long ago.

"He can see…" No. No. No. He wanted to cover his eyes as he yanked his foot from the bed, ignoring the burning sensation it caused to ride up his leg. A warm hand grabbed at his arm and he struggled against it. This wasn't Sai. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not now. Not ever. He didn't want to see…

"He can hear…" No! Hikaru yanked himself out of the hold and ran towards the door. He wanted to scream. He wanted to escape but everywhere he turned there was nowhere to go. The cold floor underneath his feet led to more hallways that were filled…just filled with them… and they all turned to stare, slowly, as one. So hungry…their eyes were so hungry for him…

"Yes…" The little girl was suddenly in front of him. Her eyes wide and glittering. "Yes, he can, he can." Her voice sing-sang in his head and her hand grasped his. "You can, you can…" The scream he emitted then before he fell to the ground was not like anything anyone had ever heard before. Every living body stilled before leaping back into action while all the spirits came and circled the boy, their new host, their new savior, much like vultures did around their dying prey. And there was simply nothing the living could do to stop them.

…

"There is nothing physically wrong with him." The doctor repeated wearily. "We've redone all the tests, done new ones…We're still waiting on some of the lab work to be done." The silent 'but' that was left unspoken stayed heavy between the four of them. Her husband had finally made his way in, shortly after the last… 'attack'. She listened, dry-eyed and petrified. Her throat was too heavy to ask, to speak, to breathe…

Her father kept shaking his head, muttering the same thing over and over under his breath. _He was fine…He was just fine and then he just…_His mutterings would stop then, choked off before he would repeat himself. He didn't really need to continue. She hadn't been there to see it happen but she'd been close enough. Her son's scream was really all she could hear at the moment, echoing in her mind and ringing in her ear. The rest that was going around her was muffled, unimportant. Slowly, her arms came up as she crossed them in front of her chest. The memory of that sound would haunt her.

"I think that you will agree that it would be best if he remains here overnight." Her fingers dug into her arms, leaving white-red traces.

"Of course, we'll do whatever needs to be done." Her husband muttered respectfully. An awkward silence wrapped around them.

"I would like to stay here, with him." She finally found her voice. The three men looked at her, surprised. "With _my_ son."

To be continued…


End file.
